1 Aug. Rendezvous in Zurich, Switzerland with Susan, Jan & David for some fun
climbing in the Swiss Alps
Travel to Zermatt (on "Swiss Transfer pass" - from airport to any point in
Switzerland, and return (24 hours travel allotted in each direction) for
$76). Bahnhof Hotel in Zermatt (30 SF/person; 1$ = ~1.5SF)

2 Aug. Pack into Monte Rosa Hut from Rotenboden station of cog RR
(cost of RR: 31 SF with Swiss pass, 20% discount possible with some Swiss
passes).
Pack time in ~2< hrs
Cost of staying at hut ~60 SF/person, only slightly cheaper with UIAA
mountain club membership card

4 Aug. Descent to Zermatt in 20 cm new snow which covered all the crevasses
making life more
interesting. Found ~100 hidden crevasses without managing to fall in. Chap
from Germany joined
us on rope & was most grateful that (TM) was finding crevasses. (TM does not
promise this efficiency on all trips.)

5 Aug. Hike up to Zmutt, new power station (tunnel that goes 1900 m
vertically down to Rhone!), & waterfall.

6 Aug Climb of Oberrothorn starting from Zermatt (2000 m vertical)

7 Aug Sightseeing on Glacier Express train through spectacular scenery in
south-eastern Switzerland then back to Zurich (all included in Swiss Transfer
pass). Farewell to Jan, Susan & Dave.

9 Aug Bus to Nalchik. (~2hrs, ~100 roubles ($3)/person)
"Propusk" (permission) from local police to go into the Elbrus border area.
(This is not officially required for Elbrus. But, whether you are Russian or
not, you do not argue with the militia, you go and get the paperwork they
want. Russian Xerox machine - They had the form written out and posted on the
wall. You copied it longhand three times on 3 different pieces of paper.
Officially the permission is free, but if you "pay" them ~100 roubles/person,
it comes back several hours sooner than if you do not.)

Taxi to end of the road just beyond Terskol (bus also available for half the
price - but we piled 5 people into a small sedan taxi for 200 roubles (~$7)
per person) (~150 km or 100 miles !)

The Baksan Valley is spectacularly beautiful, very steep side walls with
glaciers nudging over the tops, beautiful waterfalls, etc. We saw nothing of
this on the way in as it was raining hard and many bridges had been washed out
in recent flooding. We did see it on the way out.

Should also register passports with local police. Failure to do this can
cause grief with police, who will expect you to "compensate" them for not
having registered.

Cable car up to start of snow on Elbrus. First 2 stages cost 80 roubles (1
way). Last stage is a single chair lift, and it was not in operation. All
looked like they had been thoroughly inspected some time during the Soviet
regime., but all held together. Backpacked in another ~500m vertical elevation
gain to remains of "Hut of the 11" at ~4000m. Nothing but a 1.5 m high outer
cement wall remains from the hut, but it is a shelter from the wind, and we
pitched our tents inside. The wind raged. There is also a somewhat primitive
aluminum roofed hut 30 m away, and you can stay there for ~150 roubles/person
if there is room (seldom).

10 Aug Acclimatization climb to 5100 m. Could have gone on to the summit if
the weather had been reasonable (it was not- white-out conditions, 60 mph
'breezes')

11 Aug Lazy (6 a.m.) start. Up to summit in rather blustery weather, but
with reasonable visibility. Recommended time up is 8 hrs, we made it up and
back in 7.5 hrs. There are no crevasses on Elbrus. You do not need a rope.
Crampons may or may not be needed depending on conditions. We used them.
Packed out and back down to cable cars and into Terskol. Night in Terskol for
50 roubles/person.

Just a note to anyone who is interested in climbing Elbrus, there ARE
crevasses on the mountain but the route is relatively safe if you stay on the
wanded standard route. Outside of that area, there are lots of crevasses, as
at least one climber that I know can attest.